Ordnance breech mechanism.



A. T. DAWSON AND G. T. BUCKHAM. ORDNANCE BHEECH MECHANlSM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l?, l9l8.

1,326,580. Patented Dec. 30,1919.

ARTHUR TREVOR DASON AND GFS-URGE THOMAS BUCKI-IAIVI, OF VESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS T0 UNITED STATES ORDNANCE COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A CORPORATION 0F VIRGINIA.

ORDNANCE BREECH MECHANISIVI.

' Application ined June 1v, 191s.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR TREvoR DAWSON, knight, and Sir GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM, knight, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, /Vestminster, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Ordnance Breech Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ordnance breech mechanism of the breech screw carrier type rin which the carrier is provided with an actuatingl crank-shaft for unlocking the breech screw; the invention is particularly applicable to breech mechanism of the kind forming the subject of the prior British Patent` No. 6739 of 1912.

According to the invention we provide mea-ns whereby the actuating crank-shaft can be removed from the carrier without necessitating the dismantling of any of the other parts of the breech mechanism. The said means may comprise a bearing (herein termed the retaining bearing) between which and the actuating crank-shaft and in contact with both these parts a sleeve (herein termed the handlever sleeve) connected to the shaft is disposed; the said retaining bearing is detachably held in position in a hole in the carrier which hole is of such size as to enable the crank of the actuating crank-shaft to pass through it. The retaining bearing and the handlever sleeve bear at their inner ends against a collar, or shoulder on the actuating. crank-shaft and the retaining bearin bears at or near itsouter end against a s oulder on the handlever sleeve, the said bearing and sleeve being held in their assembled condition with respect to the crank shaft by suitable means which may comprise a nut on the crank shaft arranged in contact with the outer end of the sleeve.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a rear and a side elevation showing the actuating crank-shaft and its associated parts in position in the carrier.

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 240,542.

Fig. 4c is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with the actuating crank-shaft, the retaining bearing, the hand lever and its sleeve, removed.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the parts removed from Fig. A.

Fig. 6 is a section taken approximately on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4,*and

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

A is the breech screw carrier, B is the actuating crank-shaft and B is the actuating handlever. C kis the aforesaid retaining bearing and D is the aforesaid handlever sleeve which is preferably made integral with the actuating handlever and is connected by a feather and keyway to the crankshaft B. Z) is the collar on the crank-shaft B against which collar the retaining bearing and the handlever sleeve bearatetheir inner ends and E is the shoulder on the handlever sleeve against which the retaining bearing bears at or near its outer end. t is the nut on the crank-shaft for holding the retaining bearing and the handlever sleeve in the assembled condition with re-l spect to the crank-shaft.

. The carrier A is formed with the hole A which as aforesaid is of such shape and size as to permit the crank of the crankshaft B to pass readily through it. This hole receives the retaining bearing C which has at its inner part a projection C adapted to rest on a flat portion a of the lower wall of the hole A. The said retaining bearing has at its outerpart a tail-piece C2 which its within a correspondingly shaped recess A2 in the lower wall of the hole A. The tail piece serves to receive a securing pin c which passes through the contiguous part of the carrier to lock the retaining bearing C in position.

The aforesaid nut b that is screwed on the outer end of the crank shaft B, is disposed within a cavity in the outer end of the handlever sleeve D and by bearing against the inner wall of this cavity, serves to hold the said sleeve in position between the nut and the collar b on the inner end of the crank shaft and also to hold the retaining bearing C in position between the sleeve D and the said collar.

To remove the actuating crank-shaft B from the carrier it is merely necessary to detach the securing pin c, whereupon the said Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

shaft, the retaining bearing C, the handlever sleeve D and the handlever B can be displaced outwardly and Withdrawn as a single unit (see Figs. 5 and 7 These parts can then be readily dismantled by removing the nut ZJ.

l/Vhat We claim and desire 'to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

l. ln ordnance breech mechanism 0f the breech screw carrier type, the combination ofy a carrier having a passage therein, and a breech screw actuating crank shaft detachably secured in the passage, said passage being of sufcient size to enable the crank of the actuating crank shaft to pass through it.

2. In ordnance breech mechanism of the breech screv7 carrier type, the combination of a breech screw actuating crank shaft, a carrier having a passage therein of sufficient size to enable the crank of the actuating crank shaft to pass through it, and a bearing detachably secured in said passage and in which the crank shaft rotates.

3. ln ordnance breech mechanism of the breech screw carrier type, the combination of a breech screw actuating crank shaft, a carrier having a passage therein of suiicient size to enable the crank of the actuating crank shaft to pass through it, a bearing detachably secured in said passage and in which the crank shaft rotates, a sleeve between the bearing and crank shaft connected to the latter, and an actuating hand lever fixed to the sleeve.

4L. ln ordnance breech mechanism of the breech screw carrier type, the combination of a breech screw actuating crank shaft, a carrier having a passage therein of sufficient size to enable the crank of the actuating crank shaft to pass through it, a bearing detachably secured in said passage and in which the crank shaft rotates, a sleeve between the bearing and crank shaft connect ed to the latter, and an actuating hand leverintegral with the sleeve.

5. ln ordnance breech mechanism of the breech screw carrier type, the combination of a breech screvv actuating crank shaft provided with a collar, a carrier having a passage therein of sufficient size to enable the crank 0f the actuating crank shaft to pass through it7 a bearing provided with an interior shoulder detachably secured in saidpassage With its inner end in engagement with the collar and in which said shaft r0- tates, a sleeve between the bearing and crank shaft connected to the latter and having its inner end in engagement with the collar, an exterior shoulder on the sleeve abutting the shoulder of the bearing, and an actuating hand lever fiXed'to the sleeve.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. GERGE THGMAS BUCKHAM. 

